Avoid TC for girl students to curb child marriage

Headmasters were asked to alert district officials whenever a girl student applies for transfer certificate in Tiruchi district.

The heads of schools should avoid issue of transfer certificates for girl students by alerting the Collector’s office, District Social Welfare Officer, Chief Educational Officer, and District Educational Officer.

This was one of the steps discussed at a recent meeting on prevention of child marriage chaired by the Collector, Jayashree Muralidharan, here.

Heads of schools should inform school education department officials when girl children in the age group of 13 to 18 years availing themselves of more than three days’ leave.

Participants, who included officials from the police and school education departments, besides representatives of Child line, highlighted the need to create awareness of child marriage prohibited by law.

Registration of marriages should not be entertained whenever there was suspicion over the age of the bride. Printing presses should be reminded that they could print wedding invitations only on the production of age proof of the bride.

Participants, according to an official release, also suggested that complaint boxes could be placed in schools to receive complaints from students. The toll-free telephone number of Child line, 1098, should be popularised among school students.